Winter Sun

Rodders1234

Rodders1234

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Feb 16, 2020
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Morning Funsters, we enjoyed Spain last winter but my wife hated the rough ferry crossing Portsmouth to Santander. Only retired 2 years ago so this was our first attempt to find winter sun. We would like to do something this winter.
Would seem a shame to leave our lovely MH on the drive! No plans to change my wife (at the moment!), are there any sensible alternatives?
 
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the tunnel would be good option if your wife dislikes the ferry
I'm in the same position as my other half dreads the 30 hour crossing but faced with the extremely long drive through France she just puts up with it

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As said, Le Shuttle is an option .. downside for you, it's long drive from Taunton to Folkestone, about 200 miles, and an even longer drive down to northern Spain, 800 miles .. so an extra 2,000 miles on a return trip...

Also, in winter it's cold in France, think freezing, and while aires may be open fresh water is generally shut off to prevent frozen pipes.. .. plus you have the added cost of fuel and tolls.

Explain this to your wife and she may decide the Portsmouth to Santander ferry is a (much) better option ..
 
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Reallyretired said:
I believe CCP aires keep the water flowing in the winter. Central France can be very cold in the winter. Best to come down the Atlantic Coast.
Click to expand...
The west of France can be very nippy as well. In the Charente it can be below 0c for a week on end.

Las year we did the length of France in 2 days and that is not really rushing. SWMBO has a low boredom threshold.
We have a similar trip to you in the UK coming from Staffordshire, but it is worth it in the end.
 
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If your wife would tolerate a shorter ferry crossing the Portsmouth to Caen route could be a good option to save trailing up to Folkstone as it is only six hours and that part of the channel is not quite as prone to seriously rough seas as the more westerly routes. For that length of crossing a single dose of Stugeron before sailing should keep sickness at bay.
 
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We have had this discussion for the last 16 years, do we drive through France or risk a rough crossing. It’s funny that every time we drive through France then the following year we take the longer ferry. Driving through France in Winter is a pain.

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I did the Dover Cadiz route many times.
In winter it was great heading sarf as it was getting warmer each day :)
Not so much fun going the other way :(
 
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One of the things to remember is that Spain very much has a proper winter climate in the lumpy bits in the middle. That is why the motorways have bit parking areas with accommodation for when the Guardia Civil close the roads which happens quite frequently in Jan to March.
So a rough long crossing with a lively Biscay followed by blizzards and closed road is not a good start to your holiday.
 
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Channel ferry is only 1 hour and a bit...we did it from Yorkshire a good few years ago so around 300 miles.... drove across France no peage so no tolls..took us 3 days..no rush..weather was reasonable for mid January but got better the further South we went.
So it was from Calais..first stop was Buchy..Aires near to a school..then on to Mery sur Cher..near Vierzon..then an aires near Rive la Gallard..quietest Saturday ever..then we cut across towards Carcasonne..stayed at a campsite at Alet les Baines for a couple of days to get the laundry done and clean the van.
Crossed over at La Jonquera..we were driving around 350/400 miles a day on average..I'm ex truck driver so the distance wasn't a problem..and then down to The Costas..it actually worked out cheaper to drive it than the ferry to Bilbao/Santander..

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Folkestone/Dover, Monday Morning or any week day, first, Citi shopping carrefour or Lidl. Stock up with food.
Head towards Abbeville. E15, then I take this route.
Abbeville, Rouen, Chartres, Orleans, St Eloy Les Mines, Clermont Ferrand, A75 free motorway to Millau, Sete, La Jonquera, AP7, National 332, Benidorm, Alicante, Murcia.

Try to stay on the national roads and ignor the motorways unless free.

Between Benidorm and the Mar Menor salt lake, there are hundreds of places to wild camp with great facilities, also there are a lot of camp sites that you can stay in for the night from 14.00 to 11.30, to replenish water, shower, laundry, iron, recharge batteries. Empty toilets
At the wild camping places you will camp with all nationalities, so you will be safe..

Altir, Benidorm, Vilajoyosa, Finestrat, (After Alicante), Gran Alicante, La Marina, Santa Pola, La Mata, Torrevieja, (after Torrevieja) La Zenia, Cabo Roig, then all the turn offs to the coast from Cabo Roig to the Mar Menor.
You will have a ball, if you plan on 2-3 camp sites nights, per week, at from €12.50-€25.00 per night tops, you can pay a lot more for 4/5* sites, but there’s little difference. Your only other cost is fuel and food/drink laundry. It’s cold at night, but warm in the day, very little rain.

Have fun and send pics to this site..
 
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our poppy lll said:
Folkestone/Dover, Monday Morning or any week day, first, Citi shopping carrefour or Lidl. Stock up with food.
Head towards Abbeville. E15, then I take this route.
Abbeville, Rouen, Chartres, Orleans, St Eloy Les Mines, Clermont Ferrand, A75 free motorway to Millau, Sete, La Jonquera, AP7, National 332, Benidorm, Alicante, Murcia.

Try to stay on the national roads and ignor the motorways unless free.

Between Benidorm and the Mar Menor salt lake, there are hundreds of places to wild camp with great facilities, also there are a lot of camp sites that you can stay in for the night from 14.00 to 11.30, to replenish water, shower, laundry, iron, recharge batteries. Empty toilets
At the wild camping places you will camp with all nationalities, so you will be safe..

Altir, Benidorm, Vilajoyosa, Finestrat, (After Alicante), Gran Alicante, La Marina, Santa Pola, La Mata, Torrevieja, (after Torrevieja) La Zenia, Cabo Roig, then all the turn offs to the coast from Cabo Roig to the Mar Menor.
You will have a ball, if you plan on 2-3 camp sites nights, per week, at from €12.50-€25.00 per night tops, you can pay a lot more for 4/5* sites, but there’s little difference. Your only other cost is fuel and food/drink laundry. It’s cold at night, but warm in the day, very little rain.

Have fun and send pics to this site..
Click to expand...
And do not forget to visit the China Shop. Hours of fun.
 
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We had a lovely trip down from Caen to Spain this February. The weather was glorious. We made two stopovers on free aires, then headed for Cap Breton where we spent three nights. Who'd have thought we'd be on a French beach wearing shorts and t shirts in February?
Have to say this was the exception rather than the rule. We've had some terrible weather in other years.
 
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Rodders1234 said:
January and February
Click to expand...

January and February are great between Castellon and Malaga the Alicante region being the warmest with cool nights (some quite cold), but the days from 10.00 to 17.00 are sunny and very warm. Inland you will find snow on high ground, that’s why it’s better to transit from France either at the La Jonquera crossing (Med side) and run the Med Coast, or at Irun, (Atlantic side), and across the plain through Zaragoza towards Valencia.

If you are close to France ie: Roses or north of Barcelona, you do get a lot of cold rain. But once past Barcelona heading towards Castellon, the weather really improves to constant sunshine, on the Plain the weather really improves once you get close to Albecete.

Just my opinion.
 
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Mikeco said:
We have had this discussion for the last 16 years, do we drive through France or risk a rough crossing. It’s funny that every time we drive through France then the following year we take the longer ferry. Driving through France in Winter is a pain.
Click to expand...
Are winter tyres a legal requirement?

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Upvote 0
our poppy lll said:
Folkestone/Dover, Monday Morning or any week day, first, Citi shopping carrefour or Lidl. Stock up with food.
Head towards Abbeville. E15, then I take this route.
Abbeville, Rouen, Chartres, Orleans, St Eloy Les Mines, Clermont Ferrand, A75 free motorway to Millau, Sete, La Jonquera, AP7, National 332, Benidorm, Alicante, Murcia.

Try to stay on the national roads and ignor the motorways unless free.

Between Benidorm and the Mar Menor salt lake, there are hundreds of places to wild camp with great facilities, also there are a lot of camp sites that you can stay in for the night from 14.00 to 11.30, to replenish water, shower, laundry, iron, recharge batteries. Empty toilets
At the wild camping places you will camp with all nationalities, so you will be safe..

Altir, Benidorm, Vilajoyosa, Finestrat, (After Alicante), Gran Alicante, La Marina, Santa Pola, La Mata, Torrevieja, (after Torrevieja) La Zenia, Cabo Roig, then all the turn offs to the coast from Cabo Roig to the Mar Menor.
You will have a ball, if you plan on 2-3 camp sites nights, per week, at from €12.50-€25.00 per night tops, you can pay a lot more for 4/5* sites, but there’s little difference. Your only other cost is fuel and food/drink laundry. It’s cold at night, but warm in the day, very little rain.

Have fun and send pics to this site..
Click to expand...
Does any of that involve winter tyres.?
 
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David and Sally said:
Does any of that involve winter tyres.?
Click to expand...

In all the times I have driven that route, I have never needed snow chains, the A75 is kept very clear all through winter even through Millau. I was also under the impression that motorhome tyres were both winter and summer tyres, but I might be wrong, it’s worth checking. I have had snow, and ice but nothing too serious.
 
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